Chelsea could fall to seventh in the Premier League after suffering a 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa thanks to a late game mistake by goalkeeper, Filip Jörgensen.
Enzo Maresca shook up his system, deploying Reece James in midfield, Christopher Nkunku on the wing and Pedro Neto at striker. The change paid off straight away when Neto set up Enzo Fernández for Chelsea's opener nine minutes into the match.
It was a back and forth game the rest of the way with both teams creating chances in front of goal. Chelsea couldn't extend their lead and Aston Villa began to tilt the pitch in their favor. In the 57th minute, Villa's January signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio combined for the Spaniard's first goal in the Premier League.
When the draw seemed to be cemented, Rashford again set up the Spaniard whose shot was mishandled by Jörgensen, gifting Asensio his game-winning brace in the 89th minute. It was a calamitous mistake by the former Villarreal goalkeeper, highlighting Chelsea's issues at the position once again.
The loss is a gut punch for a Chelsea side that continues to lose ground in the race for the Champions League places. Maresca's squad looked better than last time out vs. Brighton, but it'll serve as little consolation for a team that looks extremely vulnerable and has just two wins in its last 10 in the Premier League.
Player ratings from Chelsea's loss below.
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Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
Ratings Provided by FotMob
Player of the Match: Marco Asensio (Aston Villa)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aston Villa 2–1 Chelsea: Player Ratings From Chelsea's Painful Defeat at Villa Park.
